Penn State vs UCLA: Nico Iamaleava Lights Up Rose Bowl — Jerry Neuheisel’s Play-Calling Sparks Historic Upset

Penn State vs UCLA: UCLA shocks No. 7 Penn State 42–37 as Nico Iamaleava rushes for three scores and throws for two more. Read the full Penn State vs UCLA recap, tactical breakdown, Jerry Neuheisel & Rick Neuheisel reaction, James Franklin’s take, player stats (Iamaleava, Drew Allar), and what this means for Penn State Football and UCLA Football. (Keywords: Penn State vs Ucla, Jerry Neuheisel, Ucla vs Penn State, Ucla Football Coach, Rick Neuheisel, James Franklin, Penn State Football, Nico Iamaleava, Ucla Head Coach, Penn State Ucla.)

Quick take (one-line summary)

In one of the season’s biggest shocks, UCLA (1–4) stunned No. 7 Penn State 42–37 at the Rose Bowl — sophomore QB Nico Iamaleava accounted for five touchdowns as interim offensive play-caller Jerry Neuheisel and the Bruins’ staff pulled off a near-miracle upset.

Why this result matters

This wasn’t just a single upset — it’s seismic:

• Penn State entered ranked No. 7 with playoff ambitions after reaching the previous season’s College Football Playoff semifinal; a loss to a previously winless UCLA team knocks a massive dent in that resume.
• UCLA snapped a 16-game skid against AP-ranked Top-10 opponents and salvaged the program’s season narrative in a dramatic way.
• The game elevated a young QB (Iamaleava) and interim staffers (Jerry Neuheisel calling plays, plus Tim Skipper and Kevin Coyle in interim roles) into national conversation — and raised tough questions for Penn State coach James Franklin about preparation and in-game adjustments.

Those are the load-bearing facts readers search for; I’ll unpack the game, strategy, and fallout in depth below, then point you to authoritative sources for video and box scores.

The narrative: how the game unfolded (drive by drive highlights)

Fast start — Bruins strike early

UCLA took the opening kickoff and answered quickly with an efficient 75-yard drive that set the tone. Iamaleava (who had struggled earlier this season) orchestrated the offense with a mix of play-action and quarterback run-read options that repeatedly put Penn State on its heels. The Bruins’ opening drive produced the first TD and foreshadowed how UCLA would keep the Nittany Lions off balance.

Middle frames — Penn State fights back

Penn State wasn’t outclassed: Drew Allar (or the Penn State QB in this game) and the offense responded with big plays of their own and cut into the UCLA lead. At halftime the scoreboard showed a back-and-forth battle rather than a blowout — but UCLA’s ability to convert explosive plays and capitalize on momentum swings kept them ahead. The Bruins led by multiple possessions at different points and managed the clock effectively in the second half.

Finish — Iamaleava seals it with his legs and poise

Iamaleava finished with five total touchdowns — three rushing, two passing — in perhaps his best career performance to date. He scrambled to extend plays, converted third downs, and took advantage of lanes the Nittany Lions left behind. Penn State’s late rally came up short: an intentional safety, a hurried final drive, and some questionable clock/decision management in crunch time left room for debate and recrimination.

Final: UCLA 42, Penn State 37. Box score and postgame notes on UCLA’s site and Penn State’s athletics page.

Key stats & top performers (the numbers fans want first)

• Nico Iamaleava (UCLA QB) — 294 yards of total offense, 5 TDs (3 rush, 2 pass). A breakout day and a career performance.
• UCLA team — multiple explosive plays in both run and pass game; effective play-calling by Jerry Neuheisel paid dividends.
• Penn State — 357 yards of offense in the comeback attempt but critical defensive lapses and late situational errors.

(Full box score and drive charts: ESPN game recap and Penn State game book. Links below in the sources section.)

PURE HEART!

The Bruins take down No. 7 Penn State, 42-37, at the Rose Bowl!#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/sYniM1Znfr

— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) October 4, 2025

Tactical deep-dive — what Jerry Neuheisel & UCLA did differently

The twist that made this game nationally notable is that Jerry Neuheisel, the Bruins’ tight ends coach and son of former UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel, called offensive plays for the first time since the program shuffled coordinators midweek. That bold internal promotion — and Neuheisel’s simplified, quick-tempo plan — worked spectacularly.

1) Simplified reads + athletic QB freedom

Neuheisel leaned on Iamaleava’s mobility with designed QB runs and run-pass options (RPOs) that punished Penn State’s aggressive front. The scheme simplified third-down reads and leaned into vertical seams where Iamaleava could exploit linebackers for big gains.

2) Aggressive tempo and chunk plays

UCLA attacked vertical seams and used play-action to create large-yardage pass plays (see the 54-yard seam to Parker Kingston, and other explosive plays that flipped field position). When you’re the underdog, chunk plays are the efficient way to change variance — and the Bruins found them repeatedly.

3) Defensive opportunism & situational coaching

Defensively, UCLA’s staff (interim DC Kevin Coyle) schemed to confuse Penn State’s rhythm, generating pressures and cleaning up tackling in the second half. They found answers for interior run fits and forced the Nittany Lions into long, clock-burning drives rather than quick scoring bursts.

Bottom line: the staff change was a catalyst — Neuheisel’s play-calling in short prep time showed how big the difference between execution and schematic fit can be in one game. Rick Neuheisel’s reaction (watchable clips) added a heartwarming father-son angle to the narrative.

[Note: Images are collected from Instagram]

James Franklin & Penn State: tough questions after a bad loss

For Penn State and head coach James Franklin, this is a bruise with implications:

• Preparation & slow starts: Penn State has shown susceptibility to slow openings on the road; the Bruins cashed in on early advantage and Penn State chased the game.

• Situational management: Observers — and the Penn State staff — will pore over clock management, third-down defense, and late-game choices that left the door open to UCLA’s final sequences.

• Playoff resume: Falling to a winless team cuts deep in the CFP conversation; the Nittany Lions must regroup quickly for conference play.

Franklin’s postgame comments (available in the Penn State press conference) reflect frustration and a call to accountability; expect schematic tweaks and personnel re-evaluations in the coming week.